How to put C++ console application to system tray notification?

To put a C++ console application into the system tray notification area, you'll need to create a graphical user interface (GUI) for your application and use a library like Win32 API or Qt to interact with the system tray. The steps involved are as follows:

1. Create a GUI: Convert your console application to a GUI application using a library like Win32 API or Qt. This will allow you to create windows and UI elements for your application.

2. Add System Tray Support: Use the appropriate library to add system tray support to your GUI application. For Win32 API, you'll need to use functions like Shell_NotifyIcon to add an icon to the system tray and handle user interactions.

3. Respond to System Tray Events: Handle user interactions with the system tray icon, such as clicks or context menu selections, and implement the desired behavior for your application.

Here's a brief example using Win32 API:

cppCopy code
#include <Windows.h>



// Function to handle system tray events

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) {

    switch (message) {

        case WM_CREATE:

        {

            NOTIFYICONDATA nid;

            nid.cbSize = sizeof(NOTIFYICONDATA);

            nid.hWnd = hWnd;

            nid.uID = 1;

            nid.uFlags = NIF_ICON | NIF_TIP | NIF_MESSAGE;

            nid.uCallbackMessage = WM_APP; // Custom message for system tray events

            nid.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);

            lstrcpy(nid.szTip, TEXT("My Application"));



            Shell_NotifyIcon(NIM_ADD, &nid);

            break;

        }



        case WM_APP:

        {

            if (lParam == WM_RBUTTONDOWN) {

                // Show a context menu when the user right-clicks on the system tray icon

                HMENU hMenu = CreatePopupMenu();

                AppendMenu(hMenu, MF_STRING, 1, TEXT("Exit"));



                POINT pt;

                GetCursorPos(&pt);



                SetForegroundWindow(hWnd);

                TrackPopupMenu(hMenu, TPM_BOTTOMALIGN | TPM_LEFTALIGN, pt.x, pt.y, 0, hWnd, NULL);

                DestroyMenu(hMenu);

            }

            break;

        }



        case WM_COMMAND:

        {

            switch (LOWORD(wParam)) {

                case 1:

                    // Handle the "Exit" menu item

                    PostQuitMessage(0);

                    break;

            }

            break;

        }



        case WM_DESTROY:

        {

            NOTIFYICONDATA nid;

            nid.cbSize = sizeof(NOTIFYICONDATA);

            nid.hWnd = hWnd;

            nid.uID = 1;



            Shell_NotifyIcon(NIM_DELETE, &nid);

            PostQuitMessage(0);

            break;

        }



        default:

            return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);

    }

    return 0;

}



int main() {

    // Create a window and start the message loop

    HWND hWnd;

    MSG msg;

    WNDCLASS wc = {};



    wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;

    wc.hInstance = GetModuleHandle(NULL);

    wc.lpszClassName = TEXT("MyWindowClass");



    RegisterClass(&wc);



    hWnd = CreateWindow(wc.lpszClassName, TEXT("My Application"), 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, NULL, NULL, wc.hInstance, NULL);

    

    ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_HIDE); // Hide the window, leaving only the system tray icon



    while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0)) {

        TranslateMessage(&msg);

        DispatchMessage(&msg);

    }



    return 0;

}

Note that this is just a basic example to demonstrate the concept. In a real-world application, you would add your application logic and behavior inside the WndProc function and handle the various system tray events appropriately.

If you're using Qt, you can use the QSystemTrayIcon class to achieve similar functionality in a cross-platform manner.